Home appliance



Dec. 12, 1961 E. F. HUBACKER HOME APPLIANCE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 21, 1959 IN VEN TOR Lbobgz BY/Z/ M fwd-[4 6.

Dec. 12,v 1961 E. F. HUBACKER 3,012,410

HOME APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 2l, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Dec. 12, 1961 E. F. HUBACKER 3,012,410

HOME APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 21, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 EQ y IN VEN TOR.

7127251.37 Macken United States Patent 3,012,410 HOME APPLIANCE Earl F. Hubacker, Evansville, Ind., assigner to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Deiaware Filed Sept. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 341,128 14 Claims. (Cl. 62-135) This invention relates to ice makers and in particular to apparatus for controlling the operation of an automatic ice body maker.

In the copending application of William I. Linstromberg, Serial No. 790,557, led February 2, 1959, and owned by the common assignee, an ice body maker is shown and described wherein a body of ice is formed in a frusto-conical cavity of a freezing mold and, when frozen, is ejected therefrom to be collected in a suitable container. The ejection of the ice body is effected by a spring urged block which is snapped against a plunger defining the lower boundary of the mold cavity. In the Linstromberg application, the operation of the spring urged block is controlled by a cam rotated by a suitable electric motor. The instant invention is concerned with another form of means for controlling the operation of the block and for controlling the operation of the water valve means regulating the flow of water to the mold cavity.

A principal feature of the instant invention is the provision of a new and improved means for controlling the operation of an ice body maker.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such control means having improved, simpliiied and economical construction.

A further feature is the provision of such control means including a toggle joint and cam means guiding the toggle joint to a substantially in line arrangement permitting it to accumulate energy in the ejecting means, and guiding the toggle joint to an over-centered arrangement at la preselected point in the operation of the apparatus to release the ejecting means substantially instantaneously f to provide a suitable ejection impact force.

Still another feature of the invention is to provide such a control means including a heat motor for operating the toggle joint structure.

A still further feature of the invention is to provide such a control means wherein one end of the toggle joint is operahly connected to a shaft having an element thereon for operating an associated water valve means in correlation with the operation of the ejection means.

Other features and vadvantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan of an ice body maker embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical section thereof taken substantially along the line '2 2 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating the ice body mold and ejecting means.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line 3 3 of FIGURE l.

FIGURE A4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating-the disposition of the apparatus -at the beginning of an ejection cycle.

FIGURE 6 is a view generally similar to that of FIG- URE 5 illustrating the disposition of the apparatus at a point in the operation thereof just prior to the release of the striker lever.

FIGURE 7 is a view generally similar to that of FIG- URE 5 illustrating the disposition of the apparatus upon release vof the striker lever to elect ejection of the ice body from the mold cavity. v

FIGURE 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the electrical circuit of the apparatus.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, an ice maker apparatus generally designated l is provided with a freezing mold 11 having a frusto-conical cavity 12 in which are frozen seriatim a plurality of ice bodies 13. As best seen in FIGURES 1, 3 and 4, water is delivered to cavity 12 from a supply line 14, through a slug valve 15, through a conduit '16, and through a chute 17.

Mold 11 is refrigerated by the passage of cold air thereagainst, the mold being provided with a plurality of ns 13 for increased eiliciency of heat transfer therebetween. Ice maker 10 further includes operating apparatus gen-` erally designated 19 cyclically ejecting the formed ice bodies 13 from mold cavity 12 and refilling the mold cavity with water to a form a subsequent ice body. The period of each cycle of operation of operating apparatus 19 is correlated with the time necessary to form the ice bodies in the mold cavity to assure completion of the freezing of the water in mold cavity 12 prior to each ejection operation.

More specifically, operating apparatus 19 includes a heat motor 20 ofvconventional construction having an enclosure 21 containing a body of fusible material operable, upon being heated by a heating element 22 thermally associated therewith, to urge a rod member 23 outwardly through the enclosure. Heat motor 20 is carried on a bracket 24 secured to a support wall 25 and having a shelf portion y26. A coil spring 27 extending concentrically of rod member 23 abuts at its upper end a cup-shaped retainer 23 held against a shoulder on rod member 23, and abuts at its lower end an annular bearing 29 engaging shelf 26. Thus, spring 27 biases rod member 23 upwardly to the fully retracted or first position as shown in FIGURE 5 upon deenergization of heating elements 22 and subsequent cooling of the fusible material in enclosure 21. In the illustrated embodiment,

Vthe movement of rod member 23 from the fully projected or second position as shown in FIGURE 7 to the fully retracted position as shown in FIGURE 5 is relatively slow, taking the greater portion of the .cycle time and the movcmentof the rod member downwardly from the retracted position of FIGURE 5 to the projected position of FIGURE 7 is relatively fast.

The vertical reciprocation of rod member 23 is converted through a toggle joint 30 into a` rotation of a shaft 31 about its longitudinal axis. Fixedly secured to one end of shaft 31 is a striker lever 32, as best seen in FIGURE 2. -Lever 32 is urged in 'a counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIGURE 2, by a strong spring 33 interconnected between a pin 34 on striker lever 32 v and a shoulder 35 on a support portion 36 of mold 11. Striker lever 32 abuts the `downwardly projecting end 37 of a plunger 38 having an upper end portion 39 deiining the lower end surface of mold cavity 12. Plunger 38 is normally biased downwardly by a spring 40 acting between a collar 41 on the plunger and a retainer 42 held against a shoulder 43 on mold 11. An annular seal 44 is disposed between retainer 42 and mold 11 and seals the plunger 38 to the mold thereby preventing leakage of water downwardly from cavity 12.

Ice bodies 13 are ejected from mold cavity 12 by the forceful striking of lever 32 aga-inst plunger end 37. In ice maker 10, this is accomplished by rotating shaft 31 against t-he action of spring 33 -to a spaced relationship with plunger end 37 and, then, substantially instantaneously releasing the shaft permitting spring 33 to move the striker lever quickly upwardly and deliver an impact force to plunger end 37. As indicated briefly above, the desired rotation of shaft 31 is effected by the reciprocation of rod member 23 through a toggle joint 30. More specifically, toggle joint 30 includes a rst arm 45 secured by a pivot pin 46 to the lower end 47 of rod member 23 projecting downwardly through an opening 4S in shelf 26. A second arm 49 is secured at one end vto the opposite end of arm 45 by ya pivot pin 50 and at its opposite end to one end of a crank arm 51 by a pivot pin`52, the other end o-f-the crank arm being iixedly secured to shaft 31. A cam follower 53 is carried on pivot pin 59 to move along a guide surface 54 of a cam 55 carried on wall 25 to extend alongside toggle joint 30. Guide surface 54 is inclined to the axis of'rod member 23 so that, as the toggle joint 30 moves downwardly as a result of downward movement .of rod member 23, the toggle joint is flexed from the substantially locked arrangement wherein ythe cam follower engages the cam surface 54 as seen in FIGURES 5 and 6 to an over-center, released arrangement wherein the toggle joint is flexed lin the opposite direction bythe action of spring 33, as

seen in FIGURE 7. Thus, when the toggle joint moves slightlybeyond a substantially in line arrangement as shown in FIGURE'G to become over-centered to the left as shown therein, the energy stored in spring 33 is converted to an impact force of vstriker lever 32 against the lower end 37 of plunger 38.to eject the ice body from mold cavity 12.

Asindicated briefly above, the downward movement of rod member 23 results from energization of heating element V22. Heating element 22 comprises an electric heating coil and is controlled by a normally open switch 56 having anactuatorv? co-operatingwith a stop 58 fixed on wall 25. Switch 55 is secured to one end `of a rod -59 pivotally mounted on a pivot support 60 and extend- Ving at its opposite endinto a receptacle 61 arranged to receive the ice bodies 13 ejected from mold 11. A projection 62 on toggle joint arm 45 bears against the support 63 carrying switch 56 on rod 59 .to pivot the rod about support 60, 4thereby moving switch 56 relative to stop 58 and moving a knob 64 on the end of rod 59 through the upper portion of receptacle 61 to detect the level of ice bodies 13 therein. Rod 59 is urged by gravity to the position of FIGURE wherein the actuator 57 Vengages stop 58 to close switch 56 and knob 64 is at the 'moves downwardly and toggle jointt30 il-exes to the left,

as seen in FIGURE 6, projection 62 urges switch support 63 to the left and pivots rod 59 in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 6. When switch 56 is moved sulcientlyv to ,space` actuator 57 Lfrom stop 58, the switch opens discontinuing energization of heating element 22.

Residual heat in heat motor 20, however, continues the downward movement of rod member 23 to urge the toggle joint to an over-center position permitting spring 33 to snap it to the ilexed position as shown in FIGURE 7.

As heating element 22 is now de-energized, spring 27, through retainer 28, urges the rod member 23 slowly back to the retracted position as shown in FIGURE 5. A web guide 65 extending downwardly from shelf 26 is engaged by projections 62 during the upward movement of rod member 23 and urges the toggle joint 30 back to the opposite over-center position as shown in FIGURE 5 wherein cam follower 53 engages guide surface 54.

As the switch 56 moves back to this over-center position as shown in FIGURE 5, the actuator 57 engages stop 58 to close' the switchV and initiateka subsequent cycle of operation of ice maker 10. Should, however, the switch 56 Vbe prevented from so returning to this over-center position as shown in FIGURE 5, which may occur if the level of ice bodies 13 is sufciently high to preclude the movement of knob 64 downwardly into receptacle 61 to an innermost position thereof as shown in FIGURE 5, further operation of the ice maker is prevented. Removal of a suflicient quantity of ice bodies 13 from container 61 to permit return of the knob 64 to the innermost position will, once again, permit automatic cyclical operation of the ice maker as discussed above.

Turning now to FIGURES 3 and 4, ice maker apparatus 1% further comprises means for automatically delivering water to cavity 12 for formation ofthe ice bodies therein. More specifically, shaft 311 extends through an insulated wall 66 on which support wall 25 is carried and which is provided with a recess 67 in which valve 15 is disposed. An actuator 68 is secured to the end of shaft 31 in recess 67 and includes a rst arm 69 bearing against a bearing Y76 for operating the inlet valve plunger 71 of valve l'land a second armY 72 bearingagainst a lever 73 for actuating the outlet valve plunger l74 or the valve i5. When the shaft 31 is in an extreme clockwise position as shown in FIGURES 5 and 7, the actuator is in full lines or delivery position'as shown in FIGURE 4 wherein the outlet of Valve 15 is opened to deliver water therefrom through conduit 16 and chute 17 to mold cavity 12. During the downward movement of the rod member 23, the actuator is moved'to a recharge position as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 4 to open the inlet of valve 15 and close the outlet thereof thereby measuring a predetermined volume of water in the valve for delivery to the mold cavi-ty on a subsequent return of the actuator to the delivery position 4as shown in FIGURE 4. Thus, the operation of valve 15 isautomatically correlated with the operation of the striker leverA 32 to assure a delivery of ice bodies 13 to receptacle 61 until a suiicient number of ice bodies is received therein to preclude further operation of the icemaker by the above discussed control of switch 56 by knob 64.

As heat motor 20 is adjacent mold 11,V the refrigerating air mov-ing over the mold wall and ns 1S also passes the heat motor. Thus, a correlation inthe rate of freezing of the water in mold cavity 12 andthe rate of cooling of the heat motorV (and, thus, the vrate of return of theice maker apparatus from the cjecting position as shown in FIGURE A7 toV the' fully retracted position as shown in FIGURE 5) is automatically obtained. Illustratively, where the temperature of the refrigerating air increases so that a longer period of time is necessary to eifect freezing of the water in the mold cavity, the cooling of Vthe heat motor by the air correspondingly decreases so that a correspondingly longer period of time isV required to return the apparatus to the retracted arrangement as Vshown in FIGURE 5.

In summary, the operation of the ice maker apparatus 10 is'as follows. The cycle may be considered as starting with the delivery of the predetermined volume of water to mold cavity 12 from the slug measuring valve 15, the Vapparatus 10 being arranged as shown in FIG- U-RES Al, 3, 4 and 7. The water in the mold cavity 12 is lfrozen by the cold air owing against the mold 11 and heat motor20 is concurrently cooled. As the heat motor cools, spring 27 urgesY rod member 23 back to the retracted position, as shown in FIGURE 5. In the retracted arrangement of'the operating apparatus 19, as shown in FIGURE 5, the toggle joint is restored to a position wherein Vswitch 56 is .closed by the action of actuator 57 abutting stop 58.

The closing of switch 56 energizes heating element 22 whereby shaft 31 is rotated to swing striker lever 32 downwardly against the pull'of spring V23. When shaft 31 is rotated suiciently to space actuator 57 from stop 58 as shown in lFIGURE 6, switch 56 opens and energization of heating element 22 is discontinued. An additional down travel of rod member 23 results from the residual heat in heat motorZtll and causes toggle joint aplast 30 to move to an over-center position whereupon spring 33 pulls striker lever 32 quickly upwardly to strike plunger end 37 and eject the ice body from mold cavity 12, as shown in FIGURE 7. Shaft 31 is rotated by the downward movement of rod member 23 to move valve actuator 68 to close the outlet and open the inlet of slug valve 15, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 4, when striker lever 32 is swung upwardly by spring 33 the shaft 31 is counter-rotated to move actuator 68 to open the outlet and close the inlet of Valve thereby delivering the measured slug of Water to the mold cavity 12 and initiating a subsequent cycle of operation of apparatus 10 as described above.

While l have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims. The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

l. Apparatus for providing ice bodies, comprising: a mold; means for refrigerating the mold for a period of time to freeze water therein to produce an ice body; an ice body ejecting device means including an ejecting member movable toward and away from said mold for removing the ice body from the mold; means urging the ejecting member toward the mold for ejecting an ice body; a heat motor; linkage means movable in a path by said heat motor; means operable by movement of said linkage means by said heat motor through one portion of said path for moving the ejecting member away from the Vmold against the urging of said urging means to store energy in said urging means; and means operable by movement of the linkage means through another portion of said path for effectively releasing said ejecting member for movement toward the mold by the energy stored in said urging means to eject an ice body therefrom.

2. Apparatus for providing ice bodies, comprising: a mold; means delivering a volume of water to said mold; means for refrigerating the mold for a period of time to freeze water therein to produce an ice body; an

ice body ejecting device means including an ejecting,

member movable toward and away from said mold for removing the ice body from the mold; means urging the ejecting member toward the mold for ejecting an ice body; a heat motor; linkage means movable in a path by said heat motor upon heating and cooling of said heat motor, the motor being exposed to said refrigerating meansvand said motor including heating means; means for energizing said heat motor heating means subsequent to the expiration of said time period lfor movement of said linkage means from an initial position through one portion of said path for moving the ejecting member away from the mold against the urging of said urging means to store energy in said urging means; means de-energizing said heating means When said ejecting means has been moved away from the mold; means operable by movement of the linkage means through another portion of said path subsequent to said one portion of the path for effectively releasing said ejecting member for movement toward the mold by the energy stored in said urging means to eject an ice body therefrom; and means for delivering a subsequent volurne of water to said mold, the cooling of the heat motor by said exposure to the refrigerating means upon said de-energizing returning said linkage means to said initial position during freezing of said subsequent volume of water in said mold.

3. Apparatus for providing ice bodies, comprising: a mold; means for refrigerating the mold for a period of time to freeze Water therein to produce an ice body; an ice body ejecting device including an ejecting member movable toward and away from said mold; means urging the ejecting member toward the' mold for ejecting an ice body; a heat motor; a toggle joint having one end operably connected to the heat motor and the other end operably connected to said ejecting member; and cam means guiding said toggle joint in a locked arrangement during movement of the 'heat motor from a rst position to a second position where the ejecting member is away from the mold against the urging of said urging means to accumulate energy in the urging means and guiding said toggle joint to an over-center arrangement adjacent said second position to release the ejecting member substantially instantaneously to provide said ejecting of the ice body.

4. Apparatus for providing ice bodies, comprising: a mold; means for refrigerating the mold for a period of time to freeze water therein to produce an ice body; an ice body ejecting device including an ejecting member movable toward and away from said mold; means urging the ejecting member toward the mold for ejecting an ice body; a heat motor; a toggle joint having one end operably connected to the heat motor and the other end operably connected to said ejecting member; and cam means maintaining said toggle joint in a slightly exed, locked arrangement during movement of the -heat motor from a first position to a second position where the ejecting member is away from the mold to accumulate energy-in the ejecting member, and guiding said toggle joint on an opposite over-center arrangement adjacent said second position of the heat motor and thereby releasing the ejecting member substantially instantaneously to provide said ejecting of the ice body.

5. Apparatus for providing ice bodies, comprising: a mold; means for refrigerating the mold for a period of time to freeze water therein to produce an ice body; a shaft; an ice body ejecting member secured to said shaft for pivotal movement with the shaft about the axis of the shaft toward and away from the mold; spring means urging the ejecting member toward the mold for ejecting an ice body; a heat motor; a toggle joint having one end operably connected to the heat motor and the other end operably connected to the shaft; and cam means guiding said toggle joint in a locked arrangement during movement of the heat motor from a rst retracted position to a second extended position thereby rotating the shaft about its axis to pivot the ejecting member away from the mold to accumulate energy in said member, and guiding said toggle joint to an over-center arrangement substantially at said second position of the heat motor and thereby effectively releasing the shaft to permit said ejecting of the ice body.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein an arm is fixed to the shaft and said other end of the toggle joint is pivotally secured thereto for operably connecting the toggle joint to the shaft.

7. Apparatus for providing ice bodies, comprising: a mold; means for refrigerating the mold for a period of timeto freeze water therein to produce an ice body; a shaft; an ice body ejecting member secured to said shaft for pivotal movement with the shaft about the axis of the shaft toward yand away from the mold; spring means urging the ejecting member toward the mold for ejecting an ice body; a heat motor; a toggle joint having one end operably connected to the heat motor and the other end operably connected to the shaft; cam means guiding said toggle joint in a locked arrangement ,during movement of the heat motor from a first retracted position to a second extended position thereby rotating the shaft about its axis to pivot the ejecting member away from the mold to accumulate energy in said member, and guiding said toggle joint to yan over-center arrangement substantially at said second position of the heat motor and thereby eectively releasing the shaft to permit said ejecting of the ice body; means for controlling the energization of said heat motor; and means associated with said toggle joint operating said controlling means to energize the heat motor in said rst position and de-energize the 1neat motor as it approaches said second position. t

8. Apparatus for operating a spring biased ejector device and water valve means of `an ice body maker, comprising: ya heat motor; a shaft secured tothe ejector device and having means thereon for operating the water valve means; a toggle joint having one end operably connected to the heat motor and the other end operably corinected to the shaft; and cam means guiding said toggle joint in a locked arrangement during movement of the heat motor from a rst position'to a second position thereby lrotating the shaft to yaccumulate energy therein and effecting a first step in the operation of the water valve means, and guiding said toggle joint to an overcenter arrangement at said second position and thereby eieetively releasing the device to provide an impact force and effecting a second step in the operation of the water valve means.

9. Apparatus for operating -a Water valve having an operating member, comprising: a shaft; means biasing the shaft in one direction of rotation about its axis; an element on'the shaft engaging the operating member of the valve; a heat motor; a toggle joint having one end operably connected to `the heat motor and the other end operably connected to the shaft; and cam means guiding said toggle joint in a locked arrangement during movement of the heat motor from a` relaxed disposition to a preselected energized disposition thereof and thereby rotating the shaft about its axis to pivot the element and thereby eifect a first. arrangement of the valve, and guiding said toggle joint to an over-center arrangement at said preselected disposition of the heat motor and thereby releasing the shaft to permit the biasing means to reposition rotationally the shaftY and thereby effect a second -arrangement ofthe valve.

10. An'automatic ice maker, comprising: a mold having a mold cavity; valve means for introducing a quantity of Water into said mold cavity; means for freezing said water into ice; ejection means associated with said mold capable of first accumulating and then releasing energy for the removal of ice from said mold cavity; a heat motor associated with said ejection means, said ejection means being in a first position for'said accumulation of energ therein by the movement of said heat motor; and meansv instantaneously from Vsaid rst position to a second position to-release said energy for said ice removal.

l1. Apparatus for providing ice, comprising: a mold having a mold cavity; means for introducing a quantity of Awater into said cavity; means for freezing said water into ice whereupon said kice becomes adhered to said mold; Vejection means associated with said mold capable of first accumulating and then releasing energy for the breakage of the adheredV ice from the mold cavity and then the removal of ice from said mold cavity; a heat motor associatedV with said ejection means, said ejection means being in a first position for said accumulation of energy therein by the movement of said YVheat motor; and means for effectively releasing said ejection means substantially instantaneousiy from said iirst position to a second position to release said energy for said ice removal.

l2. Apparatus for providing ice, comprising: -a mold having a mold cavity; means forintroducing a quantity of water into said cavity; means for freezing said Water into ice; ejection means for the removal of ice from said Vfor effectively releasing said ejection means substantially cavity; a heat motor associated with said ejection means and subjectedto said freezing means for operating said ejection means, the heat motor having an element movable to a. first position upon `cooling of said heat motor by said freezingmeans to a temperature equivalent to a temperature in said cavity at which said water is frozen; means operated by said movement of said element to said irst Vposition to energize said heat motor and move said element to a second position, said heat motor being deenergized when said element is at said second position to permit said cooling of the heat motor; and means operable at said second position for activating said ejection means. v 13. Apparatus for providing ice, comprising: a mold having a mold cavity; means for introducing a quantity of water into said cavity; means for freezing said water into ice; ejection means associated with said mold capable of first accumulating and then releasing energy for the removal of icc from said mold cavity; a heat motor associated -with said ejection means and subjected to said freezing means for operating said ejection means, the heat motor having an element movable to a iirst position upon cooling of said heat motor by said freezing means to a temperature equivalent to a temperature in said cavity at which said water is frozen; means operated by said movement of said element 4to said rst position to energize said heat motor and move said element to a second position, said heat motor being deenergized when said element is at said second position to permit said cooling of the heat motor; means operated by said element in moving from saidfirst position to said second position for said accumulating of energy in said ejection means; and means substantially at said second position for said releasing of said energy.

14. Apparatus for providing ice bodies, comprising: a mold; means Yfor refrigerating the mold for a period of time to freeze water' therein to produce an ice body; an ice body ejecting device including an kejecting member movable toward and away from said mold; means urging the ejecting member toward the mold for ejecting an ice body; a heat motor subjected to said freezing means, the heat motor having an element movable to -a first position upon cooling of said heat motor by said freezing means to a temperature equivalent to a temperature in said mold at which said water is frozen; means operated by said movement of said element to said first position to energize said heat motor and move said element to a second position; a toggle joint having one-end operably connected to the heat motor and the other end operably connected to said ejecting member, the toggle joint being in one location at said first position of said ele-ment and in a second location at said second position at which energy is stored in said urging means; and cam means guiding said toggle joint in a locked arrangement between said first and second locations and guiding said toggle joint to an overcenter arrangement adjacent said second location to release said ejecting member to provide said ejecting, said heat motor being deenergized when said toggle joint is at said second location to permit said cooling of said heat motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,857,748 Nelson Oct. 28, 1958 2,912,835 Modes Nov. 17, i959 2,949,749 Reddi Aug. 23, i960 

